Belonging, Connection, and Alumni Joy

I am writing to you, dear Grinnell College alumni, in the afterglow of a joyful Reunion weekend that showcased your achievements, love of Grinnell, and connection to the people and place that shaped you and that you indelibly shaped. The Iowa weather reflected the joy of reunion in its beauty, the sun shone, Grinnellians gathered in multiple spaces, and we honored an inspiring group of award winners, selected by the Grinnell College Alumni Council, at Alumni Assembly in Herrick Chapel.

In talking to alumni throughout the weekend, a common theme emerged speaking to how Grinnellians foster belonging and connection. The experience is not the same for everyone, and the paths are multiple and distinctive. Reunion and the return to campus — whether for the first time in 50 years or just since last year — layer memory, experience, and identity in the compressed time of the alum. Grinnell can be the same in memory, and markedly different in experience. We are a College in formation all the time: how Grinnellians find belonging and connection and how they create meaning and purpose will, and should, continue to develop.

In this issue, you’ll have the opportunity to read about the connections found in the special relationship between the Mayflower community, the College, and current students. You’ll read about the transformational impact of Fulbright Fellowships on your fellow Grinnellians and how their time at Grinnell prepared them to engage in the challenges of international work with resilience and knowledge. And you’ll learn more about how Grinnell’s programs for first-generation, low-income students have shaped the College and foster more robust belonging and connection.

The joy of reconnecting is a perpetual and renewable resource. Some of the most rewarding parts of Reunion are the connections that form between alums and current students who help us welcome you back. These students are thrilled to meet and learn from the Grinnellians who have preceded them. Grinnell students know that they benefit from the tremendous generosity of alumni whose expertise, mentorship, volunteerism, philanthropy, and connections open doors and make the Grinnell experience possible for the 67% of students who receive need-based aid. Your generosity means that we can continue to meet 100% of students’ demonstrated financial need — without student loans. Thank you for your connection to Grinnell. Your contributions and your joy make it possible for smart, committed, and creative students to find belonging and connection that will, like yours, develop over a lifetime and be a source of replenishing joy.